Buddy Love!Its been one week since we arrived down under. Gotta say, we're taking a liking to the Oz and Queensland. After Asia the prices in Australia made us gasp for breath, but we soon got over it. All the hostels have kitchens we can use, and we do! After more than two months having about every meal at restaurants we really enjoy going to the supermarket, buy our own food and cook it! The first night in Cairns we made cookies and watched a movie. Perfect after a night on the plane and a rainy day. The night after we soon realised that Cairns has quite the night life with both backpackers and Aussies. Monday 11th of april we went out on a boat with "Down Under diving" to dive on the Great Barrier Reef. We left the hostel at 7.30 in the morning and went out on pretty big boat with about 60-70 people. Most of them were snorkeling and doing uncertified dives. We were 6 people going doing two dives. Two Swedish girls, an Israelien couple, and me and Åssi. Us scandis went down with a guide, Eli, (I'll be honest, one of the hottest guys I've ever met. We later found out that he also was a male stripper. Can't say we were surprised!). The weather was impecable, our friends from Tropic Days, three dutchies and a german boy, were on the boat as well and me and Åslaug were dive-Buddies for the first time. The great Barrier Reef was everything its expected to be, the coral reef really is full of life, fishes in every colour imaginable, caves and rock canyons, and gigant clams that closes when you put your hand on them. I did three dives and Åslaug two (as she had a bit of a cold). The trip included lunch, a great BBQ, steakes, fish, veggie burgers and lots of great salads! Before and after lunch was coffee and tea served and after our second location on the reef the put out cheese and crackers, and wine for those who wanted (dont worry mum, I didnt touch the stuff), very classy for a boat full of cheap backpackers and children-families. That was our experience of the GBR (I'm going all local) and even though it wasn't cheap and it'll be the only time we dive in Autralia it was an amazing day and it was totally worth it.
Australia being the most poisnous country in the world, many people wore stinger suits (those blue catsuits illustrated in the photo here), protecting them from killer jelly fish. We went diving in our swimsuits. 
The Swedish girls and our dive intructor Eli. 
Team Penis on the boat Tropic days, the hostel we stayed at, was a great experience and is highly recommended by us all. Its a family-run place and Gabriel and his wife sure made it feel like a home. We extended our two night stay with 3 more nights and never looked back. "Happy days at tropic days" has been a motto true to its heart. The second night we got two roomates, Paul and Pien. They were two members of "Team Penis". Its three dutch girls, two med-students and single traveller who all have a Penis connotation in their names: Lauras last name starts with "Dick", "Licke de Kock" is the small blonde and whenever someone asks where Pien, the tall blonde, is, well, Pienis right around the corner. They were meant to be "Team Penis" and Paul just tagged along with them (after all he is the real deal).
Shopping groceries again! This is Bunting street, Tropic days is all the way down on the right side!
After three days with discussing pro and cons between renting a camping van or getting a Greyhound hop-on-hop-off bus pass. We decided to go with our dream and rent a van. That was two days ago and we couldnt be happier. Its an orange "Spaceship" (name of the rental company) and his name is Potter. Our first night with Potter we slept in parking space by toilet and showers right on Mission Beach. The many km long white beach was pratically deserted, and coincidently I woke up just as the sun rose and made the sky, beach and palms pink and rosy. Thats what I saw through the back window before i fell back to sleep. Our german room mate who is the least german German i've met was going our way and we willingly gave him a ride. He might come with us all the way to Sydney. Gabe from Tropic days was kind enough to wait out our indecision and got everything sorted with the company. And now Potter is ours for 17 days untill the 30th of April. That gives us a week in Sydney before we make our way to New Zealand the 7th. But thats still a long way into the future, now my life consists of beaches, friends, sun, chocolate milk and goon. Leaving, arriving, sleeping and eating whenever we want to.
Saying goodbye to Gabe at tropic days. He gave us t-shirts with the Tropic Days logo! 
The pool at tropic days 
Our first camp site with Potter on Mission Beach! Deserted Paradise!
Hope everybody is as happy with their life, as I am with mine right now ;)
